American flight attendants contract, Section 8 — VACATION

1. A Flight Attendant will be eligible for vacation accrual, subject to the completion of their probationary period, according to the years of service completed as a Flight Attendant and number of months of active service as a Flight Attendant in the preceding year as follows:

2. A Flight Attendant who completes less than twelve (12) months of active service in the preceding year shall have their vacation accrual prorated.

3. Vacation will be accrued for each contractual month during which the Flight Attendant is on active status for at least fifteen (15) calendar days. As an exception, a Flight Attendant on active status for less than fifteen (15) calendar days in a contractual month will accrue vacation if a minimum of forty (40) hours of pay and credit are achieved during the month.

1. Vacation days in blocks of seven (7) or more consecutive days will be paid and credited at four (4) hours per day at the Flight Attendant’s rate of pay. Vacation days in blocks of less than seven (7) consecutive days will be paid at four (4) hours and credited at three and one-half (3.5) hours per day. Vacation pay and credit shall be based on a Flight Attendant’s longevity at the time the vacation is taken.

2. Premium pay (Lead, Purser, Galley, Speaker, International and CRAF) will be paid to a Flight Attendant on vacation as specified in Compensation, Section 3.

1. A Flight Attendant must bid vacation in periods of four (4) or more consecutive days, provided that a Flight Attendant may bid one (1) block of either one (1), two (2) or three (3) consecutive days per year. There shall be no limit on the number of vacation days a Flight Attendant may bid in a month.

2. Primary Vacation Bid

a. A Flight Attendant shall complete and file their preference for vacation periods up to the maximum of the Flight Attendant’s accrual on or before March 7th based on their accrual the previous calendar year. The vacation fiscal year will include the May to April contractual months. Vacation bids will be open for a minimum of thirty (30) days. A master yearly vacation day matrix will be available electronically on the Company Intranet at the same time vacation bids open. The number of vacation days will be no less than the number of days available to Flight Attendants for bid for that year. Vacation periods will be awarded on the basis of preference in order of seniority. Award results shall be posted no later than March 15th.

b. The Company will meet with the APFA National President or their designee to provide the APFA with information as to the vacation matrix planned for the following year one (1) week prior to the opening of the annual primary vacation bid.

c. Monthly Allocation of Vacations

The Company shall offer for bid each month a minimum of four and one-half percent (4.5%) of the total vacation days available at each base during the months of July, August and December and in all other months a minimum of three percent (3%) of the total vacation days available at each base.

3. Secondary Vacation Bid

A Flight Attendant who is not awarded any or all of their vacation or, who failed to bid in the primary vacation bid, or who has carry forward days to bid may bid on open vacation days in the secondary vacation bid to be completed on or before March 23rd. If a Flight Attendant has been awarded a period of less than four (4) days in the primary vacation bid, the Flight Attendant will only be able to bid a period of less than four (4) days in the secondary vacation bid if they have less than four (4) days to bid in the secondary vacation bid.

4. Assignment of Vacation

A Flight Attendant who is not awarded any or all of their vacation or who failed to bid in the primary or secondary vacation bid will be assigned vacation period(s) by the Company. Vacation will be assigned in seniority order starting with December 31st, assigning periods in reverse chronological order in groups of seven (7) days. When the Flight Attendant has less than seven (7) days unassigned, or there are no seven (7) day periods in that year to assign the Flight Attendant, the assignment will be made to the first group that matches the remaining day(s) starting with December 31st. If this process results in the Flight Attendant receiving a less than four (4) day period, such period will be assigned even if the Flight Attendant was already awarded a less than four (4) day period in the primary vacation bid.

Example: A Flight Attendant has thirteen (13) vacation days that they failed to bid. The Company will assign the first available seven (7) day period, working back from December 31st. The Company will then assign the first available six (6) day period, working back from December 31st.

5. Vacation Awards

Vacation periods will be awarded and assigned in order of seniority. Award and assignment results shall be posted on or before March 31st.

6. Monthly Vacation Rebid

a. Vacation days vacated by a Flight Attendant because of separation, leave of absence, vacation periods which were not awarded, or became available as a result of any previous vacation rebid that year, will be posted for rebid as specified in Paragraph C.6.b, for a minimum of ten (10) days and shall be awarded no later than the first of each month, one (1) month prior, in order of seniority among the Flight Attendants bidding such vacation days in the crew base. Only vacation days posted at the beginning of the vacation rebid will be awarded that month. Such known vacation days which apply to the remainder of the year, will be posted for rebid each month.

b. Vacation days vacated will be posted for rebid as follows:

i. If a Flight Attendant separates from the Company, all of their vacation following their projected separation date will be taken off the Flight Attendant’s line effective the date of notification and placed in the next monthly vacation rebid following the Flight Attendant’s notice to the Company of separation. If the Flight Attendant does not in fact separate from the Company, the Flight Attendant shall participate in the monthly vacation rebid to schedule their vacation;

Example: A Flight Attendant submits a notice on February 10th that their last date of employment will be June 1st. The Flight Attendant has vacation scheduled in May, July and August. The July and August vacations will be placed into the March rebid.

ii. A Flight Attendant on a Medical Leave, IOD Leave, or any leave of uncertain duration, will retain their awarded vacation dates unless the Flight Attendant chooses to be paid out such vacation. However, if by the opening date of the monthly vacation rebid process for the scheduled vacation, the Flight Attendant has not provided the Company with a release from their doctor, the vacation will be placed in the vacation rebid. If the Flight Attendant is subsequently released by their doctor prior to the Flight Attendant’s scheduled vacation, they will be allowed to assume such dates, in addition to any Flight Attendant who has bid and been awarded such dates in the vacation rebid;

Example: A Flight Attendant on a Medical Leave, IOD Leave, or any leave of uncertain duration has vacation scheduled in May. The opening date of the monthly vacation rebid process is March 1st. On March 1st, the vacation will be removed from the Flight Attendant and placed in the monthly rebid for May and beyond. If the Flight Attendant subsequently submits a release from their doctor and returns to work prior to the vacation, the Flight Attendant’s vacation will be reinstated.

iii. If a Flight Attendant is on a leave of absence with a specified return date, excluding Medical Leaves and IOD Leaves, any vacation time falling within the period of the leave will be posted in the next monthly vacation rebid.

c. A Flight Attendant’s request to cancel or rebid an awarded vacation may not result in the Flight Attendant having an additional less than four (4) day group for that year if the Flight Attendant already has been awarded such group(s).

7. Vacation Bidding - Leave of Absence

a. A Flight Attendant on a leave of absence at the time of the vacation bid may participate in the vacation bid for the following year provided they have accrued vacation to bid for the following year. If the Flight Attendant does not bid in the primary or secondary vacation bids, they will be assigned vacation periods pursuant to Paragraph C.4.

b. Any vacation days accrued prior to the year of the primary vacation bid will be considered carry forward days and bid in the secondary vacation bid. If the Flight Attendant fails to bid such days, the day(s) will be assigned pursuant to Paragraph C.4.

c. If by the opening date of the monthly vacation rebid process for the scheduled vacation, the Flight Attendant has not provided the Company with a release from their doctor, the vacation will be placed in the vacation rebid. If the Flight Attendant is subsequently released by their doctor prior to their scheduled vacation, the Flight Attendant will be allowed to assume such dates, in addition to any Flight Attendant who has bid and been awarded such dates in the vacation rebid.

d. A Flight Attendant who has been awarded vacation prior to the beginning of an unpaid leave of absence and whose vacation falls during the leave of absence shall have one opportunity to exercise one of the following options:

i. A Flight Attendant may request a payout for all or part of their vacation at the commencement or return to duty from a leave of absence.

ii. A Flight Attendant may request a payout for all or part of their vacation during the leave of absence.

e. A Flight Attendant may cancel all or part of the scheduled vacation while on a paid or unpaid leave of absence and rebid such days upon the Flight Attendant’s return to duty.

f. A Flight Attendant on a leave of absence may trade with another Flight Attendant provided the Flight Attendant’s vacation has not been posted for the vacation rebid pursuant to Paragraph C.6.

g. A Flight Attendant on a medical leave of absence and claiming sick leave, may, at their option, take vacation in the month the vacation is scheduled. Such Flight Attendant may participate in the monthly rebid. Any such vacation time shall be applied towards the credited hours for the purpose of determining active status as specified in Sick Leave, Section 9.

h. A Flight Attendant who is unsuccessful in rebidding vacation days during the remaining months in the current vacation fiscal year or if there are no months left in the current vacation fiscal year to rebid the unscheduled vacation days, will carry over the days and must bid the days during the secondary vacation bid or the days will be assigned pursuant to Paragraph C.4.

1. Vacations shall not be cumulative and must be taken within the vacation fiscal year subsequent to the year in which the vacation is earned.

2. Should a Flight Attendant be unable to take their accrued vacation because of circumstances beyond the Flight Attendant’s control, the Company will examine each case based on its individual merits and determine if the Flight Attendant will be eligible to carry over such accrual to open periods in the subsequent year.

3. A Flight Attendant who has unassigned carry forward days must bid the days during the secondary vacation bid or the days will be assigned pursuant to Paragraph C.4.

1. A Flight Attendant, at their option, may hold twenty percent (20%) of accrued vacation days to a maximum of seven (7) days to be used as filler days. All filler days must be taken in the vacation fiscal year subsequent to accrual.

Example: Total Accrual 24

20%

5

2. The Company will establish a separate pool of vacation slots which will be dedicated for filler day use. The formula for determining this pool will be based on the number of filler days awarded to Flight Attendants throughout the system but never less than five percent (5%) of the average vacation days allotted for each crew base on a day-by-day basis as determined by the master yearly matrix. When the percentage results in a decimal it will be rounded up to the next whole number.

3. The award of filler days will be accomplished as follows:

a. The master yearly filler day matrix will be posted on the Company intranet at the same time vacation bids open.

b. Filler days for the following month will be awarded on or before the eighth (8th) of each month effective with PBS (prior to PBS, the tenth (10th) of each month), immediately after monthly vacation rebid awards.

c. If a vacation slot(s) for the following month remains open after the monthly rebid process, including any vacation slot(s) that become available as a result of that month’s Flight Attendant rebid, such slot(s) will be added to the minimum five percent (5%) filler day pool.

d. A Flight Attendant who uses filler day(s) in a month shall be paid at the same rate as a vacation day as specified in Paragraph B.1 above.

1. The Company will make available on an annual basis in each crew base a minimum of five and one-half percent (5.5%) of the total annual crew base vacation accrual, excluding any vacation carryover, for vacation buyback. Vacation buyback will be awarded by crew base in seniority order to individual Flight Attendants prior to the annual vacation bid and establishment of the vacation matrix. Any reduction in the vacation matrix due to vacation buyback shall be distributed equally throughout the year. Vacation buyback awarded in accordance with the provisions of this Paragraph will be paid in the subsequent year, no later than the first pay period in June.

2. Following the completion of the annual vacation buyback process as specified in Paragraph F.1, the Company may, at its sole discretion, make available additional vacation buyback in any crew base on a monthly basis, except as provided in Paragraph 10.D.11.d. The Company shall notify Flight Attendants of the vacation buyback prior to the first of the bid month. If vacation buyback is offered, the award will be processed in seniority order by crew base. Such buyback shall be awarded prior to the opening of bidding. Any previously awarded vacation time will be removed as preplanned absences and such vacation time shall be paid as pay no credit.

3. A Flight Attendant making this election will fly the line they bid and was awarded unless the Flight Attendant modifies their line pursuant to the Agreement.

4. The Flight Attendant will be paid pursuant to Paragraph A for the vacation day(s) at their applicable rate. This will not apply to the Flight Attendant’s line until the vacation month. The vacation cash out will be effected on a pay, no credit basis subject to the pay provisions of Paragraph B. Thus, the payment for vacation day(s) will be above the monthly guarantee for a Reserve and in addition to the Flight Attendant’s pay and credit for the month. The vacation payout will not apply to the monthly maximum for the Flight Attendant.

1. A Flight Attendant will not be required to work during a vacation.

2. A Flight Attendant may elect to pick up ETB time on a vacation day(s).

1. Flight Attendants may donate current year vacation days to another Flight Attendant according to the Company Gift Vacation Day policy.

2. A Flight Attendant who has completed their probationary period and whose service with the Company is terminated shall be paid for any accrued vacation.

3. A Flight Attendant’s vacation period will begin at 0000 and end at 2359 Home Base Time.

4. Once awarded, vacation shall not be cancelled by the Company.